Midnight in Manila
by scifigrrl
Summary: The M-rated version of chapters 16 & 17 of The Shearing Cross. This steamy short story can stand on its own; it's not necessary to read the full story of Marta and Aaron continued in The Shearing Cross. As a one-shot or stand alone, this is complete.


**Midnight in Manila**

Marta made it back to the penthouse suite later than she planned on but Aaron had not arrived yet either. She shut the door behind her with her foot and put the bags she carried on the nearest chair. Her stomach grumbled as she kicked off her sandals. Not knowing how long Aaron would be, she decided to order room service for them both. She figured he would be back soon if he was going to make it back at all. A jolt of fear struck her at the thought of him not returning but she cleared her mind and picked up the phone to dial the hotel's dining services.

While she waited for both dinner and Aaron to arrive, she emptied the smallest of the shopping bags on a side table. Marta opened a small pharmaceutical box and popped a tiny blue pill out into her hand. Grabbing a few more items from the pile, she crossed to the dresser where a tall glass container of water was. She unscrewed the cap and swallowed down the pill. She walked to a bedside table and dumped the most intimate things the kind Frenchwoman had procured for her into the drawer. Getting pregnant would be very, very bad in their current situation.

The rest of the items on the table were mostly cosmetics and toiletries. They were an indulgence but, Marta thought with a smile, that was exactly the purpose they would serve. If she only had one night in this luxury, she would relish it all while she could. The fingers of her right hand absent-mindedly twisted the rings on her left. It didn't matter what she and Aaron were exactly; they were in no position to live a normal life. They wouldn't get to know each other in a formal sense. They weren't dating. In their cohabitation, a one night stand or casual sex wasn't an option. They weren't married; but it had to be all or nothing between them, so they may as well be.

Aaron had been pretty clear about his choice; he was all in. Marta only just realized today that she had to choose and be clear with him now, either way. She knew he would honor her wishes, whatever her choice.

Alone this afternoon, as Aaron was out seeing to their future, she had made her choice and was happy to embrace it wholeheartedly. Marta was committed-to redeem herself, to fulfill their mission, and to the man Aaron himself. Though not legal or official, in spirit, tonight was her honeymoon.

A knock at the door startled her and suddenly Marta became anxious. She hesitated, expecting Aaron to come in. When the door didn't open, she chuckled to herself and felt like a nervous teenager. She looked through the peep-hole in the door and saw that it was a waiter with their order. Aaron had trained her to keep exposure to a minimum while not raising suspicion, so she spoke through the door.

"I'm sorry; you've caught me indecent. I will be a few minutes. Would you leave the dining cart there for me?" Marta asked in an apologetic tone.

"Yes, of course, ma'am," the waiter answered. "Please call if there is anything else we can do for you."

"Very good of you." She waited until she heard the elevator slide shut then she wheeled the dinner into the room and ate just enough to tide her over for the night. Once finished, took the toiletries to a vanity table and began arranging them. There was a soft knock on the door then it slowly opened and Aaron stepped through, greeting her with a grin.

"Hi," she said simply but her voice was full of relief. "How did it go?"

"Better than I hoped," he replied but had his back turned to her as he looked out the peep-hole of the door. His eyes performed a sweep of the room then he looked out a window of every side of the suite, checking the surrounding buildings and streets. He opened every closet, room and shelf. He felt along the back side of each table and dresser, even under the bed rails. Satisfied, he finally turned to Marta and looked her over observantly.

"You're in the same clothes."

"I went shopping," she gestured to the bags on the chair. She assured him, "Just in the hotel's shops. I picked up some supplies but mostly, I'll admit, I splurged."

"On what?" Aaron asked, but he was eyeing the dining cart.

"Myself." Marta answered evasively, laughing. "The steak dinner is yours."

He lifted the metal dome, savoring the smell of the rich food. "I'm famished," he exclaimed, flopping into the nearest chair to dig into the feast.

"Did you have cause to work up an appetite?" Marta asked, wondering if he had run into any problems.

"I suppose so," Aaron mumbled around a hunk of meat he had shoveled into his mouth. He swallowed. "There was some action with a few unsavory characters but we scored ourselves a few extra guns, some incentives and a van."

"Incentives?"

"Cash and drugs," he replied, taking another bite with a shrug. Marta's eyes widened at the casual mention of drugs but didn't probe further.

"The van is in an underground parking structure near the morgue," Aaron continued, spearing vegetables. "Which is convenient; we can take it to a small airstrip just outside of the city once we have the program medication. I've pegged a contact at the morgue I'm pretty sure we can use to get the pills. You still up for it?"

Marta nodded, not sure a 'yes' would sound confident enough right now. "What will I do?"

"All you have to do is approach a young woman as she's getting off work and hope for a little sympathy. Piece of cake," he winked at her, wanting to put her at ease. There was no use worrying about anything tonight. "We've got all day tomorrow to go over all the details. I spent today setting us up so we're good till about three in the afternoon tomorrow, when we leave the hotel."

"OK," Marta said with a nervous smile, standing. She walked towards the bathroom. "I'll take a shower while you finish dinner."

"Wait..." Aaron stood as he scooped a few more bites into his mouth and chugged half of a bottled water. But as he turned towards her, she avoided his eyes and quickly closed the door behind her. He frowned as he heard the lock turn over.

He drank the rest of the water slowly as he waited a few minutes. He almost expected to hear the bathroom door unlock after the toilet flushed and the shower began running, but it didn't. Fighting frustration-however irrational-Aaron sat back down to eat, without really enjoying the meal.

To Aaron, Marta was taking forever, even after she had turned the shower off. He could hear her brushing her teeth, using the hair dryer and messing around with who-knows-what women's products. He had just about lost his patience and was about to pound on the door to tell her to hurry up when she unlocked it and swung it towards him, stepping through. She startled to see him standing over her, his arm outstretched against the frame.

Marta had a towel wrapped around her that she clutched at her chest. It revealed the full length of her bare legs temptingly. He stilled at the sight of her, all previous irritation gone, replaced with bother of a different type. She had her hair twisted up on her head in another towel that she held aloft with her other hand as she dipped under his arm swiftly.

"The shower's all yours," she said, still not meeting his eyes, and walking briskly to the vanity table where she sat down and pulled the towel off her head.

He stared after her for a beat, wondering why she was so distant with him tonight, then gave up waiting for her to turn to him and took his turn in the bathroom. Marta relaxed after she was alone in the room and hurriedly ran her brush through her hair, her natural curls fluffed back into place with her fingers. She rarely wore her hair free like this, it was too unruly for her taste, normally. But she was not feeling tame tonight. She picked up the kohl liner and made her eyes up dramatically, using the cosmetics and tools she had picked up downstairs. She finished her make-up with a pale french lip paste that was more a chap-stick than lipstick. It had a little gloss to it without being sticky. She silently praised the ingenious Frenchwoman again.

With a quick glance back at the mirror, Marta strode for the chair across the room to reach the shopping bags. She pulled out a long, thin black silk robe with a faint Asian design hand-stitched in a fine silver thread. To Marta, it embodied moonlight rippling over a Manilan midnight.

The screech of a faucet turning brought her out of her brief reverie. The water of the shower had stopped so Marta quickly pulled out a pair of elegant, deep maroon red undergarments so dark they almost looked black. She dropped her towel to slip them on and hooked the silken lace bra.

She could hear Aaron using the sink, probably to shave and brush his teeth. Marta figured she had a few minutes to straighten things up. She pulled on the exquisite robe and tied it about her waist, admiring the quality and praying she could keep it, even after tonight. She walked over to the dresser to pick up the other tall glass bottle of spring water and set it on the other nightstand so there was one on both sides. She turned down the covers of the bed folding them at the foot so they were out of the way but could be pulled up easily. Marta suddenly felt silly and very anxious.

The feeling only intensified as she heard the bathroom door swing open. Marta turned away quickly, facing the wall, and took a steadying breath. Aaron hadn't looked her way, he was stalking towards the luggage, still feeling rather annoyed. He picked up his case and dropped it on the couch and began rifling through it. He had toweled off but was still damp, his hair dripping beads of water. He raked his hand through his wet hair pushing it back from his face and wiped his hand on the towel around his waist. He held it in place as a knot in the fist his other hand. He was pulling out contents from the bag and dropping them carelessly on the couch but stopped as he felt a gaze upon him. He slowly turned to face the eyes he felt watching him.

_Holy shit._ He had almost resigned himself to Marta's confusing aloofness but nothing about her was cold anymore. Dark, sultry eyes looked him over in languid relish as Aaron stood rooted in place as his mind stuttered to catch up with the unexpected change of atmosphere. He noticed his body had caught on a lot more quickly than his brain.

Desire had stilled Marta's nervousness and she approached, her robe billowing out behind her making it look like she was floating to him. She stopped a few steps in front of Aaron, just out of reach, and met his big, mesmerized blue eyes. He stared back at her, searching her limpid green eyes. He understood now why she had always avoided looking at him in the lab exam rooms. He could see straight into her soul and read her thoughts. She was his.

As if she could read his thoughts just as clearly, Marta's lips curved in a soft, inviting smile and she untied the belt about her waist, to let the fluttering robe hang open. Aaron drank in the sight of her with a powerful hunger barely contained. He burned the image into his brain so he would never lose the breathtaking image of Marta entrusting herself to him completely.

Marta expected Aaron to rush and grab at her but, as usual, he caught her off guard. He stood still in silence, his stance stiff and straining but his eyes roamed over her with earnest intensity. Minutes passed, and just as she was beginning to feel shy under his scrutiny, Aaron shocked her by dropping the towel from around his waist. He openly exposed himself to her without reservation. Aaron stood naked before her, his erection plain and prominent, his desire on display for her.

A rush of current ran through Marta and electrified her insides with a low, searing twinge. His body was all masculine, hard and angular. A latent power in his form radiated strength. He looked dangerous. She remembered that he was engineered-a scientific accomplishment achieved, in part, by her work. She was about to be fucked by evolution's newest incarnation of man. A fire between Marta's legs ignited.

She had played a major role in creating this magnificent specimen, she thought, admiring him. _It was so wrong to feel like a god. __A __goddess. _In this moment, she couldn't manage to feel the crippling guilt she had experienced before of her part in Outcome. Marta felt like confessing to Aaron so he would make her pay for being unrepentant. Her eyes, dark with lust and power rose to his then froze at his expression.

His chiseled, muscular body was all Aaron Cross but his face held an innocent vulnerability that was all Kenneth Kitsom. His pale eyes reflected a haunting need and loneliness that begged for her acceptance and affection. Shame and remorse flooded Marta. Once again he proved himself the better person. He never ceased to unsettle her.

"I've wanted you for so long," he told her.

Marta's lips parted to reply but no words came to her, neither did any thought. She moved instinctively toward him, though, and her fingers found themselves claiming his arousal. They ran the length of him, touching every glorious inch of his yearning, throbbing erection. She felt him shudder as her fingers swirled around its smooth tip and trailed back down to cup his testicles in her hand. Her fingers played with them gently as her other hand closed around the thick staff of his penis and squeezed.

A deep, gutteral moan escaped Aaron but he made no other move. He shut his eyes tight, relishing the feel of her intimate, exploring touch. Having her hands on his cock was heaven.

Marta resisted the urge to drop to her knees and take him into her mouth. There would be other times for that; tonight was for more than just sexual pleasure. The ghost of Kenneth's desperate longing permeated Aaron's need. She stepped in closer to him and clutched his engorged arousal, pulling it to her lower abdomen. She held it firmly against her, possessively.

Aaron's hands rose to take her head in them and guide her face to his. "I've wanted you for so long," he repeated, demanding a reply from her.

Marta pressed his sex tight against her body in an erotic embrace. "I know," she admitted. "I'm all yours."

Aaron pulled her face up to his and kissed her. It was a strong, full kiss and lasted until they had to take a breath. Their union was now sealed. Aaron's lips were back on hers immediately, more insistent, his hands gripping her more securely, tilting her head to deepen the kiss. Her arms rose to wrap around his neck, pressing her body against his more completely. His hands slipped into the opening of the silk robe and pulled her hips in tight to his.

Aaron's grip loosened slightly to travel lower to the familiar curve of her buttocks. His fingers found their way to the underside of her bottom and explored the meeting of her legs to her plump flesh before slipping just under the lace barrier of her panties. His fingers traced the line of her behind, then dug in, to her haul her up on her toes, and grind her pelvic bone against his erection.

His head pulled back to peer down at her when he took a deep, staggering breath. He pinched her playfully with a roguish smile. She wiggled against his cock in retaliation. He hissed a ragged laugh then crushed her triumphant grin with his lips. His hands slid slowly up over the curve of her rear as he lowered his head to her neck. Marta leaned back in his arms as he kissed, bit and sucked his way down to the base of her neck. His warm hands continued to rise up her back languidly. He eventually reached the straps of her bra at her shoulders.

Marta let the robe fall to the floor. Aaron pulled the straps from her shoulders, replacing them with nibbling kisses as her fingers threaded themselves in his hair. Her body arched against him so her breasts, barely contained in the cups of the bra, were thrust forward invitingly as he moved lower, his tongue leaving a wet trail down her chest to where her heart beat wildly. He rested his ear against her breast and listened to her heartbeat, grateful she was alive and safe in his arms; that they had this time to spend together. Aaron looked up at her from between her breasts with a contented smile.

The smile turned wicked as he reached around and unclasped her bra. It dropped away, laying bare Marta's beautiful breasts. Aaron leaned back, as he knelt, to look her over and take in a sight he had dreamed of for years. He reached out and traced the curve of each breast lightly with his knuckles. Then splayed his fingers over her, stroking her soft, supple white flesh. He cupped both of her breasts in each of his hands. He lifted them gently and squeezed. His thumbs strummed her nipples until they were so taut they strained.

Aaron leaned forward and took her left nipple into his mouth, running his tongue soothingly over it. His hands continued to knead her, then his fingers pinched and pulled at her right nipple as he began sucking and nipping at her left. Marta's head fell back and she groaned in pleasure, her chest thrusting her breasts into his hands and face with growing urgency. His mouth switched sides to swirl his tongue over her right nipple before taking it gently between his teeth. He rolled her left between his thumb and forefinger, pinching it repeatedly. He sucked on the right nipple hard and Marta trembled.

"Aaron," she moaned, pulling his head back by his hair. He released her breasts after kissing them tenderly, then his hands moved lower down her body. They came to rest on her hips as he nuzzled her navel and placed open-mouthed kisses on her stomach. His fingers hooked the sides of her underwear and he pulled the lace down over her hip bones, placing a kiss on each exposed hip, and slid the panties down her legs.

Marta placed a hand on his shoulder to step out of the garment. She felt his hands rise slowly up the back of her legs. Her face flushed as he squeezed her buttocks, nipped at an inner thigh teasingly, and breathed in the scent of her sex. Aaron kissed his way up her body, his hands touching her everywhere his lips missed. He lingered at her breasts, then her neck, and finally straightened, standing over her. He took her face in his hands and held her, his piercing blue eyes searching hers. He stroked her cheek and jaw line as he stared at her, his expression full of feeling.

His thumb passed over her lower lip then he leaned down and kissed her gently. The kiss was long and lingering. Aaron took his time with her, brushing his lips over hers. He opened her mouth with his and stole her breath. His tongue tasted her lips, parting them. He sucked and licked and gently bit her lips, as if he could consume her. His tongue entered her mouth, seeking hers. Her tongue met his and he couldn't get enough of her.

When Aaron finally pulled back from her mouth, he kissed her cheeks, then her nose and smiled, his eyes creasing at the corners. She smiled back at him, her green eyes shining. Her head tilted, wondering why he had lightened the mood. He grinned at her suspicious expression and kissed her forehead with a chuckle. It caught in his throat; he had to choke back his lust. Marta narrowed her eyes at him. _He couldn't possibly be reigning in __his__ passion now. __They were both well past the point of no return__._

Aaron had now gone dead serious. "I love you," he told her.

Marta was stunned. Before she could react or respond he picked her up bridal style and carried her to the bed. He laid her down in the middle and crawled in next to her. Marta's jaw was still slack in surprise so she didn't have to open her mouth to speak. "Aaron,..."

He stopped her with a finger to her lips. Then trailed the finger over her lips, tracing them. Leaning over her on an elbow, he kissed her. His right hand was in her hair, cradling her head as his tongue pushed through her lips and tangled itself with hers. Aaron shifted, his body coming up over hers. His kiss became hungry and insistent. Marta could barely take a breath before his mouth was on hers again. His head turned, his tongue plunging deeper, overpowering hers.

Aaron lowered himself to her, a muffled groan escaped him as his body pressed fully against the length of hers. His tongue moved wildly in her mouth, its need stoking a fire that blazed within her. Marta began to squirm under the weight of his body. She felt a tremor run through him. His erection pulsed and strained hot against her thigh. Aaron broke their kiss and took a haggard breath, his forehead resting against hers.

Marta's hands roamed freely over his chest and shoulders. She ran her hands down his arms, her fingers following his bulging veins. She tried not to remember that those prominent veins were a side effect of the enhancements. He ran on a greater volume of blood. Her lips twisted as she tried to hold back a smile as her brain dwelt on that train of thought. _An evolutionary advancement indeed._

"What?" Aaron grunted.

"Nothing," Marta assured him in a raspy voice. She was not stifling the smile successfully. "I'm just very happy."

It wasn't a lie.

"Hrmph," he huffed, letting her know he didn't believe her, but decided to let it go. "Not yet you're not."

Her eyes widened and she blushed at his implication-and at her anticipation, if she was honest with herself. A cocky smirk curled Aaron's lips before he lowered them to hers. He continued to kiss her as his hand moved lower, his knuckle brushed up and down her collarbone. His mouth made its way down her neck. His right hand brought the knuckle lower, to the swell of her breast where it met the tight bud of her nipple. His knuckles skimmed over the nipple, teasing and stimulating her.

His lips found the point in her neck where her blood throbbed. He sucked the skin into his mouth and bit down gently. At the same time, he pinched her nipple hard between his thumb and forefinger. Marta moaned and her back arched, her chest lifting off the mattress. He cupped her breast and squeezed in response. His thumb flicked back and forth over her nipple rapidly until a sound close to a whimper begged relief, drawing his lips. Aaron's tongue circled the taut nub licking it wet. He blew on the bruised nipple, soothing it with the chill of rushing air.

His hand released her breast and felt its way down her ribs and over her navel. His head moved from her neck to her left breast, sucking its nipple vigorously as his hand reached between Marta's thighs. Her right hand was holding Aaron's face to her breast, her fingers woven tightly in his hair. Her left hand gripped the sheet in a knot as she drew her left knee up his arm, opening herself to welcome his touch.

Aaron's right hand slid between her legs, its middle finger grazing her clitoris. Marta gasped and her legs trembled as the finger parted her labia. Her knee fell to the side, spreading herself wide for him, and his fingers met the wet heat of her core.

Aaron felt every muscle in his body ripple. He lifted his head from her breast as a racking groan rumbled from his chest. He slipped two fingers in and marveled at the velvet smoothness. "F**k, Marta, you feel _so_ good."

He swirled his fingers around deep inside of her then pulled them out to spread her slickness over and around her clit. He circled the sensitive nub, increasing pressure with each revolution. Marta's hips were rolling inward and her breathing became more and more shallow. Aaron tore his gaze from watching his fingers dip into her again. The sight of his hand buried in her thighs was driving him mad.

Seeing her breasts rise and fall as her chest heaved didn't help his aching cock, either, so he rose higher up her body and fixed his gaze on Marta's face as he curved his fingers and moved them in and out of her repeatedly. Her unfocused expression told him she was close. He wore a crooked smile as he couldn't help but think, _I finally have the good doctor squirming. _He would have her begging for him, under the power of just one of his hands. He added another finger and pumped into her rapidly. She would cry out his name as she succumbed to the pleasure only he could give her so completely. _Five. Ha; he would never be nameless again._ _She w__ill __whisper his name in reverence after he had his reign of her._

She threw back her head and moaned, her body writhing. He felt her slowly tighten around his fingers. "Let go, Marta," he demanded, his voice gruff and rumbling. "Let me have you like this."

He bent his thumb so its knuckle would hit her clit every time he thrust into her. Her hips lifted and his fingers plunged in and out of her with frantic speed, the wet slapping sound of his hand smacking against her heat twisted his gut. He felt pre-cum leak from the tip of his cock. He wasn't going to last much longer himself.

A long, low, primal sound of ecstasy escaped Marta's lips and Aaron watched her eyelids flutter shut, the corners scrunched tight. He felt her body spasm and clench around his fingers. After a few moments of mindless oblivion, Marta's eyes snapped open and she grabbed his wrist to still him. She held his hand against her to keep him deep inside. He slowed the tempo but continued to thrust into her, prolonging her pleasure.

She blinked a few times in wide-eyed enthrallment, riding out her climax. Then she turned her head towards Aaron and looked at him with glistening green eyes full of wonder. "Aaron...", she murmured his name softly with rapture, her hands reaching to bring his face close.

He couldn't keep a victorious smile from his mouth as he kissed her. He pulled his hand from between her legs and stroked her breasts with his wet fingers until they were nearly dry. Then his hand rose to the base of her skull and tangled it in her hair, tilting her head so he could deepen the kiss. Eventually, his head made its way lower, his tongue trailing down to her chest to lap at her breasts.

"Mmm...," he hummed, his voice reverberating against her body as he licked the taste of her and sucked each of her nipples. He moved over her, his knee hooking under hers as he shifted his weight. He brought his other knee between her legs and it nudged her thighs further apart. His head rose and his lips claimed hers again.

Aaron pulled back from the kiss and looked down at Marta with an adoring smile. "Say it again," he pleaded, giving her another quick kiss. She hesitated a moment as she thought of what he needed her to answer, then remembered the last thing she had spoken was his name. She wrapped her arms around his neck and gazed deep into his big, pale blue, desperate eyes.

"Aaron," she said deliberately with a languid smile. She hooked her legs around both of his and pulled his mouth down to hers. She slid her legs higher up his body, her knees coming to either side of his hips.

"Aaron," she said again. Her lips opened his mouth and her tongue slipped in to meet his. She rolled her pelvis, pressing her slick heat firmly against his arousal. His entire body shuddered.

She moved against him again, sliding herself up and down the underside of his erection. Her labia parted around his throbbing staff, coating and coaxing it. "Aaron," her voice wavered, the name a plea.

"Fuck," he grunted and crushed his penis between them, grinding it against her wet core. His voice was rough gravel. "I've needed this for years."

"You," he clarified. "All these years, I needed you." With a small movement, the smooth tip of his arousal rested at her entrance. Marta took in a rush of air and arched against him unconsciously, her desire fully rekindled.

"I love you," Aaron whispered, his throat thick with emotion, lust and longing. He kissed her, before she could respond, then hung his head against her shoulder, unable to concentrate on anything but the sensation as he pushed himself into her.

He uttered a primal, gasping moan as her slick velvet canal enveloped him. He paused to catch his breath. Marta wiped his brow of the beads of sweat that had formed there. She held on as his body began to rock in a slow, building cadence. Her hips lifted to receive him more fully and he slid into her deeper and deeper with each thrust.

Aaron's arm slid under Marta to brace one shoulder with his elbow, and the other in the firm grip of his right hand. His left hand clamped onto her hip, his fingers digging into her flesh as he penetrated her with growing speed and force.

Marta hadn't thought she could climax again so soon after her last amazing orgasm, but she felt another building as her body jostled wildly under the weight of Aaron's thrusts. The rapid friction was setting her ablaze as he hit just the right spot inside her repeatedly. She could feel her breasts bounce and her nipples brush his chest hair every time his body collided with hers rhythmically. The vibrations shot electrifying currents straight to her core.

Aaron felt Marta's vaginal walls clench around his cock like a suction. His head lifted as a long, wracking groan escaped from deep within him. It felt like it had originated directly from his groin. He tried to hold out until Marta came but he lost control when he heard her moan his name in ecstasy. He surrendered to his base lust. His spine bent, curling over her body as he gripped her tight and pounded himself into her, grunting hard with each hammering drive. His movement became frantic and kinetic, then every muscle in his body seized and he erupted with a loud, stuttering groan.

Aaron's lean, taut form rippled as another wave hit. A thrilling rush of glory flowed physically in spurts, from him into her, and he felt Marta follow his climax. Her body quivered and contracted around him, triggering a final ejaculation from his spent erection. He was magnificently depleted. It took great effort, but he managed to continue rocking his pelvis, to draw out her pleasure, as he gradually deflated inside her. Aaron blew out a haggard breath then he rested his forehead to hers as they both recovered. When Marta stilled and peered up at him, he gave her a crooked smile and kissed her tenderly.

Aaron rolled to the side, slipping out of her. Marta sighed contentedly and he pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her. He placed a kiss on the top of her head as she laid it on his shoulder.

"I meant it, you know," he said, stroking her hair with one hand and her arm with the other.

"Hmm...?" Marta murmured, still languishing happily in afterglow.

"When I said I loved you," he told her. "I do."

She lifted her head and saw his earnest expression with her green eyes wide.

"Don't say anything," he instructed. "I just wanted you to know, in case things don't go off as planned tomorrow."

Aaron reached over for the glass of bottled water and drank half of it then tilted it towards Marta in offering.

"No," she shook her head declining. "I'm good."

He set it back on the nightstand and leaned down to pull the covers over them.

"Very, very good," she added with a laugh as she settled back against him, exhausted.

"Yes, you are," Aaron replied, gratefully satiated.

Marta groaned in response to his teasing and buried her face in his chest. Feeling tired and fulfilled, she nestled against him comfortably. She drifted into a peaceful, easy slumber. Aaron rested his hand lightly on her head, holding her to him. He silently wished to have her close and safe, always.

"Sleep tight doc," he whispered, marveling at the fact she was really here with him. He had wanted her for so long, even if only to acknowledge him as a man. After all that time, she finally saw and accepted him. She consented and was now his, completely and more fully than he ever dared to hope.

This night, it was his name on her lips and his arms she fell asleep in. Outcome could never take that away from him now. Even if he died tomorrow, it had all been worth it, for this moment. He had found home.


End file.
